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Tuesday, July 13, 2004

Wallis: Rescue Christianity.

I have no idea how many of my readers pay attention to the articles I highlight in my Scrapbook. (The six most recent entries appear in the sidebar on the front page just below the Recent Comments.) So I'm highlighting one entry in particular: an op-ed in today's Boston Globe by Sojourners editor-in-chief Jim Wallis, "Recovering a Hijacked Faith."

"Many of us feel that our faith has been stolen," he writes, "and it's time to take it back. A misrepresentation of Christianity has taken place." I urge you to read his alternative.

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2 comments:

FPA von Dreger:

Jim Wallis presents a very powerful, clear and unambiguous call to action - beyond the traditional 'right', 'left', and all similarly polarized and skewed spiritual directions, discussions and arguments, that in effect have not halted the gap between rich and poor, power-full and power-less, but have been either fundamentally ineffective in reversing, let alone stopping, the spread of that gap - or who have in fact supported and contributed to the present truly obscene, and ultimately untenable, levels of disparity within our societies as well as in our global village.

If anyone has any doubts about some of the most simple and basic causes of the 'terrorism' that we hear so much about and see so vividly portrayed by our 'mainline' media these days -- that caused by the disadvantaged, I mean here; not that inflicted on so much of the world's population by the rich and powerful in control of the state -- then looking at the nature and extent of this 'disparity' would be a very useful start!

Wallis cuts through the Gordian Knot of confusion, obfuscation, misrepresentation, mountains of prejudice, bigotry, self-delusion and 'religious' gloss that has been purveyed in the name of "Christ" and "Christianity" for a very long time now -- and returns to a simple and direct call for human dignity and social, including specifically also 'economic', justice.

I am reminded of activists like Dorothy Sölle, the Berrigan Brothers, and the very 'active' Saul Alinsky who - on hearing a long discussion at an ecumenical gathering of Christian Ministers on their concerns about members of their congregations reaching a happy "Life After Death", suggested that it might be more important for us first of all to be concerned about "Life after Birth" !!

My great respects, appreciation, and thanks !

F.P.A. von Dreger, Auckland, NZ
former Professor and Chairman of the Department of Political Studies at the University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Canada -- retired

Johnny Wills:

My only bumper sticker reads: "God is not a Republican or a Democrat." Though most in this county vote Democrat (many blue collar union workers), the problem I am having is with Republicans who are fundamentalist Christian. When did Jesus become a man with blue eyes and short hair? Who decided that Jesus believed in biblical literalism? Why do we now have to fight just to explain why we liberals can love Jesus, too? Last Easter, I was asked to speak at a liberal Christian denomination. I explained my concept of the Resurrection and stated honestly that I thought of this event in a metaphorical sense. Liberals were angry--yes, I said liberals! I hear they thought I was making trouble for them at the local church. The Republicans who are literalists were upset! Liberals thought I should not say such a thing among the militant fundamentalists. Every day, we have to hear conservatives on radio and television speaking their point of view. Can they not hear one thing that is liberal? Where is our freedom of speech?
Where is the Jesus of the New Testament? God help us, please!